


Feels Like Dying

by BabyBat (BabyBatsCreations)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 07:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16013144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyBatsCreations/pseuds/BabyBat
Summary: For prompt: Tony having a strong panic attack and Peter comforting him(Can be interpreted as platonic or romantic Starker)





	Feels Like Dying

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning for realistic depiction of a severe panic attack

Tony was alone. He was so _fucking_ alone and he was dying. DYING. How was he dying? He didn’t know, but he was. He just knew it. He’d asked FRIDAY to scan him, check his vitals. She told him that his heart rate was increasing along with his blood pressure. She suggested he was having a panic attack. It didn’t help. It was still terrifying.

He ended up sitting on the floor in his lab. It was the Chitauri weapon that he’d been tinkering with that had set him off. He felt like he was falling again. Like the word was exploding all around him and either the flames or the fall was going destroy him. But there were no flames and no Chitauri and he was sitting perfectly still on the floor.

His ears caught a noise but it was only the sound of his own pathetic whimpering. “Get it together, Stark. You’re fine. You’re fine. You’re fine. You’re not dying. You’re fine,” He tried to tell himself, but the more he spoke the faster the words came out and suddenly he was breathing too fast.

He stood up. He needed to move. He felt like he needed to run. He thought about calling his suit, but he knew better. He could freak out and blow up the lab and Peter was on his way. Shit, Peter was coming. Peter was going to see him like this. See how weak and broken and pathetic he is.

Tony paced around the room a until his head started to spin from hyperventilating. Then he sat down on the floor, back to the wall, curled in on himself. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Then, he heard the sound of footsteps entering the doorway.

“Mr. Stark?” Two steps forward. He hadn’t seen him yet. Then he changed direction coming straight for Tony.

A flash of panic shot through him. It’s just Peter. It’s Peter, He tried to calm his thoughts.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter’s voice was soft, gentle. “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He could never stop himself from babbling could he? Tony almost smiled.

He did put on a fake smile Peter’s sake. “I’m fine kid. I just uh… needed a little sit down.”

“On the floor?” Peter looked around the room. Tony saw his eyes fall on the furthest table, the one that held the Chitauri tech. Understand filled his eyes. “Oh, Mr. Stark.” Did he have to sound so damn sympathetic?

“It’s nothing, kid. Seriously.” Tony tried to stand and was all the more embarrassed when Peter caught him. He freaked out a little feeling trapped by Peter’s arms and flailed a bit as he pulled away. He stumbled back into the wall.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I uh…” Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “You told me this happened to you something times so I did some research so I could help you.” He was blushing now. As if he had any reason to be embarrassed. “Hang on okay? Just wait right here.”

Peter dropped his bag on the floor and left the room. It seemed suddenly too loud, too big, and too small at the same time. He was hyperventilating again and this time each breath came with a wheezing sound. He leaned against the table in front of him.

But then Peter was back. Tony had to re-calm himself as the panic came back when Peter stepped too close. Peter stopped and looked at him like he was approaching a dangerous animal.

“Mr. Stark? You trust me right? I got you some stuff that might help. It’ll go away quicker…” He looked so damn nervous. Tony was making him nervous.

“Of course, Pete. Show me what you got.”

“Okay.” Peter smiled a little as he came closer. He had what appeared to be a damp wash cloth in his hands. Then he reached up and put it against the back of Tony’s neck, tucked under the collar of his shirt.

Tony felt the cold move through him like it was resetting his nervous system. It wasn’t an instant cure, but he felt a lot better. Then he was handing Tony a candle.

“What’s this? Are you trying to romance me now, because I have to say that’s hardly appropriate at this moment,” Tony joke. Peter blushed again.

“Just uh… just smell it okay. It’ll help.”

Tony’s forehead scrunched, but he did it anyway. It smelled like warm vanilla and it worked like a magic spell. Just like that, Tony was starting to regain control of himself. It wasn’t over. Panic was still sitting in his mind, but it was like holding a torch in the darkness.

“Thanks, Peter.”

“It’s no problem, Mr. Stark. You’d do the same for me.”

Tony smiled a little. He would. In fact if it were Peter suffering through this kind of thing then he’d be searching day and night for a cure. But he couldn’t think about that now when he was close to getting his mind back to normal. He sat down on the floor again and Peter sat with him.

“Tell me about school or something, distract me,” Tony said.

“Well, my Spanish teacher fell off a chair today,” Peter said. “I caught her before she could get hurt so she’s okay.”

“Did she buy you a churro, too?”

Peter smiled. “No, but it’s probably best that not everyone I save buys me a churro.”

“Why not? Think you’ll get fat? Can you even get fat?”

“Probably not. All this muscle came from the spider bite.”

“That’s completely unfair. I want to trade.”

Peter laughed. “Being Iron Man is pretty cool, though.”

“Yeah, it is. But it doesn’t come with superpowers.”

“You don’t need superpowers, Mr. Stark. You built your own. That’s way cooler.”

“Yeah, it kind of is.” Tony smiled. Peter had his ‘hero worship eyes’ on. Tony felt better, more normal, if a little bit shaky. He got back to his feet. “Thanks for helping me out, kid. I owe you one.” He walked back over the table where it all started. It didn’t seem to bother him this time.

Peter shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything, Mr. Stark.”

“No, I do and I’m gonna pay you back.”

“Really, you don’t have to.” There was that blush again.

“I never do anything I don’t want to, Peter.” Except for having panic attacks but that was beside the point.

“Okay… thanks, Mr. Stark.” Peter stared down at his shoes.

“Something wrong?” Tony looked back over his shoulder.

“I know you’re not a hugger or anything, but you’re still kind of shaking and physical contact-”

Tony shut him up, wrapping Peter in a hug. It took a second for Peter to catch up and hug him back. “Thanks, Peter,” Tony said sincerely. Then he was pulling him, releasing the boy from his warm arms. “Now, I’ve got work to do. You gonna help or what?”

Peter grinned. “Yeah of course, Mr. Stark.”


End file.
